Congress says AAP, BJP playing politics over fest

New Delhi: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Sharmistha Muk-herjee on Tuesday accused the AAP government and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations for playing politics over Chhath festival observed by a large number of Poorvan-chalis in the city. 

Ms Mukherjee said Chhath Puja was a matter of faith for the people of Poorvanchal and parties should avoid politicising it. She said when the Congress was in power in Delhi, preparations for the Chhath Puja used to begin three months before the festival, and the Delhi government used to write to the Haryana government well in advance to release water to the Yamuna so that during devotees could hold the Chhath festival in clean water.

“Of late, people are facing problems at the Chhath ghats as there is arrangement for clean water and cleanliness, as both the AAP and the BJP were playing politics over the festival. 

The Delhi government was discriminating against the various Chhath Puja Samitis. Some of the samitis that have aligned with the AAP are being given funds, while the others are given meagre funds,” she added. 

Former MP Mahabal Mishra said the previous Congress government in Delhi was the first to start giving facilities for holding Chhath festival on the ghats of Yamuna. It goes to the party’s credit that the festival was included in the list of Tirth Committee after 1998.

“Then urban development minister Ajay Mak-en through the DDA gave allowed construction of a ghat at ITO by granting `2.5 crore despite the fact that it was falling under the ‘O’ Zone,” Mr Mishra said.

Apart from this 78 more ghats were also constructed along the banks of the Yamuna under the Congress rule in Delhi,” Mishra said.